Researchers have developed a new way of performing direct mechanocatalysis.1 The method uses resonant acoustic mixing and offers a simple, scalable and solvent-less alternative to traditional copper-catalysed azide–alkyne click coupling (CuAAC). Tomislav Friščić, at the University of Birmingham, UK, who led the work, says it could change how chemists think about chemical synthesis by allowing […]

More than 170 nations have agreed to develop the first draft of a global plastic pollution treaty by November, following the United Nations conference negotiations in Paris earlier this month. Should the process run smoothly the draft will be followed be a finalised version by the end of next year. RSC science policy lead Dan […]

One jab can safely sterilise domestic cats, a study has shown. The gene therapy approach could one day be used to control populations of feral cats. The gene therapy jab offers an easier, safer and cheaper alternative to spaying, which involves surgically removing the ovaries of female cats. The new therapy introduces an adeno-associated viral […]

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has confirmed the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a galaxy more than 12 billion light years away. The universe would have been less than 1.5 billion years old when these compounds were created, making it the earliest that such complex chemicals are known to have formed. PAHs […]

A new one-pot mechanochemistry method for processing elemental gold can provide organosoluble gold salts in under one hour. By combining potassium peroxymonosulfate, a common pool cleaner, tetraalkylammonium halide salts and metallic gold in a solvent-free ball mill reaction, the technique avoids traditional harsh and toxic reagents used for gold oxidation. As a noble metal, gold […]

Discover has an article titled Galileo Galilei’s Legacy Went Beyond Science, which is about his artistic talents. Although, in style, totally over the top purple prose, the main content of the article is correct but nothing new. It is well known that Galileo was an excellent lutist and that he was a fully trained artist. In […]

For the first time, researchers have measured the live formation of chiral bonds at the single-molecule level. The method could uncover ‘previously unknown reaction mechanisms of enantiospecific reactions, which is [currently] really hard and time consuming,’ explains materials chemist Sascha Feldmann from Harvard University, US, who wasn’t involved in the project. The detection of chemical […]

A new preprint study from researchers in the US has concluded that the environmental impact of cultivated meat is probably ‘orders of magnitude’ worse than traditional beef, based on current and near-term production methods. But experts are divided on whether the study, which has yet to undergo peer review, makes valid assumptions. Cultivated meat, which […]

Using time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy, researchers have directly observed the metal–alkane charge-transfer interactions that occur during C–H activation. The method offers synthetic chemists a better understanding of C–H activation reactions and could help guide the design of new catalysts. The project, led by Raphael Jay and his team at Uppsala University, Sweden, set out to experimentally evaluate […]

A new analysis of previously undisclosed industry documents by academic researchers in the US appears to confirm that chemical companies have known for more than 60 years about the health hazards posed by exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) discharged from their facilities, but actively worked to suppress knowledge. PFAS are a class of […]